Jamie George has cautioned that the team should steer clear of being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to achieve their first home victory over the visitors in over a decade this weekend.
Squad Boost Before Pivotal Fixture
England's head coach has received a welcome lift with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and in contention for selection since suffering an injury on Lions duty, while the full-back and the wing were also named in the 37-man group announced on the weekend.
Recent Performances Differs with Previous Woes
The home side host New Zealand after extending their winning streak to nine matches with a commanding comfortable win over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the closing stages. This strong run stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when England endured six defeats in seven matches, each by fine margins. Three of those defeats were inflicted by New Zealand—during the overseas tour and a tight loss at home after George Ford missed two late kicks.
New Zealand just defeated Scotland on Saturday to maintain aspirations of a home nations grand slam intact, and while the Springboks cemented their top ranking, the captain described New Zealand as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, the team's only victory over New Zealand was during the global tournament semi, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the last five fixtures at Twickenham.
The Captain's Perspective on Playing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in admiration of New Zealand with their history and all their world-class players,” said former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here at this venue. We’re very proud to be playing here. We are going to do all we can to come out on top.
“You have to be at your best. The All Blacks are without doubt the best side in the world right now. They are a exceptionally skilled team and they seem to raise a level when they visit this stadium. The important thing for us is is work out where we might have improved in the opening period last time. But also, develop a defined gameplan which can apply as much stress as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We faced a lot of criticism last year for not coming out on the right side of tight games and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Scoring however many tries in the last quarter of the match is a sign of a good team.”
Borthwick's View and Squad Adjustments
Borthwick is likely to make a number of adjustments to his lineup, with skipper Maro Itoje, the flanker, and Ford all expected to be reinstated to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each suffered issues against the Islanders but both have been included in the squad getting ready to face New Zealand.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” said Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a great assessment for us.”
Earl's Take on Progress
The number eight, meanwhile, believes that England’s present capacity to break away in the closing stages of matches is largely due to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks the previous year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the experience to learn from those losses, and they hurt at the time,” said the back-rower, who was awarded player of the game against Fiji. “But I question to a man in the dressing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the success that we’re now enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
